Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-08
THE OPERA HOUSE.
W ichita's Interest and what Should be Done.

/
| We are strongly impressed with the con-
viction that there is lack of interest in re-
pairing or making good the misfortune of
last month, to cur city; we allude to the fall
| of the new opera house. 1t was q stately, a
| grand edifice, the finest of its character in
the state, proud mark of our city's taste
and enterprise. This beautiful and attrac-
tive building, designed for the pleasure and
| epj oyment Of cur people no less than as an
ornament to our city, was being built by
three men, two of them our own citizens
| who had ever shown a ready hand and a
whole souled willingness to take hold Of any
interest or enterprise which promised to be of
a general benefit. 1t had almost become by
word that 80 c. Daisy can be counted on
Equally true is it that P. V. Healy has al
ways been recognized also as one of our most
public spirited and unselfish citizens in all
matters pertaining to the general welfare
OF the CITY. These are the men who had in
their piide, generosity and enterprise re-
solved that Wichita should have the finest
opera house in the state. The walls had
eighty feet, and the massive timbers Of the
mighty roof were 10 be seen from every di-
rection. The scenes had all been painted,
the chairs made, and the great balconies
which were to contain heir thousands Of the
future, in graceful curves swept
around the inner walls and even the Opening
company had been engaged, when all unex-
pected the entire city was shocked by the
announcement that the opera house had fall
len. The hundreds-the Thousands, who had
gene almost daily to mark and admire the
rising wells Of the beautiful north and east
fronts as with one breath exclaimed "What
@ pity but it must 60 right up again-the
whole city will see that 1t does!" So earnest
was these expressions and protestations that
many said after all the collapse may have
been fortunate for now we will have struct-
ure Of which there will be no fear. SO gen.
eral seemed the resolve that this great struct-
ure should not be In ruins that the men whose
hopes went down with the mighty crash
Of the walls Of their beautiful building, took
&C urage and commenced to clear away the
debris preparatory to building better than
ever. The remains and debris Of
over three hundred thousand bricks
were shoveled up by big
force and hauled of to find the foundation
intact, undisturbed and solid. Bot to 60 be-
yond, or least to entirely rebuild the great
edifice, unaided, was not within the Pc wer Of
the men who bad ventured so much. They
could appeal to the public for others and for
enter prises Of b general nature but not for
themselves. And there the matter for the |
time rested. Then came a proposition in
volving series OF bonds of $500 each, to be |
subscribed for by citizens, the bonds to be Sc
cured by the bui ding and bear small inter /
EST we believe. This seemed entirely feasible |
and twenty-five or thirty thousand dol
lars of such bonns would enable |
the owners to go GA and complete the build
ing. They said with such aid or loan of
credit they would make the necessary sac
rifc,s to raise the balance and swallow the
great loss and disappointment they had al
ready sustained If they must The subscrip-
tion paper for such boLds was drawn up
But we now incidentally learn that the cir
'ulation Of the paper was left to Mr.. Daisy
himself, and we hear, further, that he is
much discouraged and down hearted. II
hat is so, and we don't 6oubtit, it is the first
lime that Mr. Daisy was ever discouraged. |
Ind this is not written in any spirit Of fault
hiding or to even intimate thai anyone has
cen remiss. 1t is only set forth that our ,
eople may understand the status of the ,
7hole of this to our city very important
natter and in the hope that such
q interest may be aroused as will
esult in, not only sending the walls OF that I
reat edifice up to the roof once more, but s
nat the sneers and inuendoes OF outsiders
lay be properly rebuked. To this end it
oes seem that if half dozen, or even O less 6
lumber, of men, property impressed with the
Importance Of converting this, the city's first {
reat calamity, into success, should go out y
nd spend a single day with Mr.. Daisy
nong our business men, that all of the
onds might be disposed Of. especially in view
the fact that there can be no possible loss n
tending such loan. We are satisfied that 4
I'd Messrs. Crawford, He,ly and v
aisy found it possible to go on v
18th the work unaided they would q
'ver have appealed to our citizens a
r this friendly turn-twenty or thirty a
ousand of a loan on a property which will v
J worth and rated at considerable more than 8,
le hundred thousand dollars is no risk and 81
e hope when our people und- rstand the
tuation that the whole trouble may be n
NEEDED at once, and that yet before the t,
cry visitor the finest temple ever erected f
our the state, dedicated to music and thu
ANA